The general consensus is that for best canola yields with modern hybrids farmers should aim to establish five to eight plants per square foot. While farmers have been successful in some situations seeding at a lower rate, lower seeding rates increase the risk of lower yields.
So what implications does this have for a farmer's seeding rate? And how much does the speed at seedingimpact those numbers?
In this episode of Canola School, Clint Jurke, regional technical services manager with BASF, and RealAgriculture's Amber Bell discuss the answers to these questions.
When considering seeding rate, it's important for growers to consider multiple factors. A risk assessment, such as soil temperature at time of planting, anticipated disease and insect pressure, as well as previous years' plant emergence numbers will all play a role in a grower optimizing the seeding rate by field.
The average rate of canola plant establishment for the Prairies is 50 per cent of the seed put down, says Jurke. While it's possible to make seed purchase decisions based on this average, a farmer knowing their own numbers and making decisions based on the field's history, rather than the average, can potentially save on input costs, explains Jurke.
Another factor that is often overlooked is the speed that the seeder travels at. While moving quickly may have decreased accuracy as a grower bounced across a field fifteen years ago, equipment has improved since that time. Depending on the drill and the field, speed may not impact seed placement as much as it once did. The best practice is to get out behind the seeder to ensure that the seed placement is accurate for the conditions and chosen speed.
Spending time walking in the field both during seeding and a couple of weeks after to count plant emergence, along with good record keeping, can help to ensure optimal yields for the current and future seasons.
